Getting readjusted

isn't easy. You know, since being back at school I've really begun to realize that coping and changing with different things never stops. We're always put into new situations and repeatedly asked to cope and/or adjust to it. Why don't things simply stay the same?
We go from school to school every 3-4 years, we change friends, we change classes, sometimes we move, sometimes we have to adjust to new people in our lives...Is life just one big adjustment? Since I've been back at PC after Christmas break, i've had a lot of time to just sit and reflect on the adjusting i've done and it's astonishing. Even more, it's scary at just how much more change is to come down the road. I'm deathly afraid of change...you know, in case you couldn't tell. This whole new class schedule has just thrown me off my rocker completely. New Classes, New Professors, New Classmates...geez. Can't a girl catch a break? But at the same time I know I have to step back and realize that God will never let me get off my path to where I'm supposed to be. Change is inevitable. While I'm changing, I might as well call on him to lead me in the right direction...right?
So this last week has been really eventful! I found out I made the Dean's List, found out that I get to go to Knoxville in February with ADPi for District Conference, and got accepted to be a Sterling! (those people that give tours around campus) It's a little stressful to think about how busy my schedule is quickly getting but at the same time it's amazingly exciting to think about all the amazing opportunities I'm going to have in the next few years. I've never been a big fan of New Years Resolutions but I will just call this a "goal". I'm going to try to focus on the NOW and not the future. Focus on my classes THIS semester, my grades THIS semester, and my opportunities THIS semester. Then we can worry about next, right? Wish me luck, everyone! Happy Changing!
Hope everyone is having a good week and good luck with new classes!
Much Love,
Emma

What is Grammar? uhh...

I have news for you all! Being an English Major is wonderful....ly hard. Today began the start of my second semester of college, and must I say that it is going to be quite different than the first. Let's just talk about this little class they like to call linguistics. My description of the class? Let's just say that, apparantly, there are many more definitions for the word "grammar" than I ever imagined. Yeah. Try 15 pages worth of an explanation purely for that one word. On one hand it's absolutely horrifiying that I'm taking a class meant for Junior and Senior english majors, but on the other, it's provided me with some sort of motivation. So what if I'm a freshman? I just might surprise myself and pull out a (somewhat) decent grade in the class. I'm taking the challenge! (One of the biggest I've ever taken on, I believe) Just to give you an idea about the level of difficulty of this class I present to you Exhibit A: My conversation with Holtie upon taking my seat:
Me: "Holtie! I'm so nervous about this class."
Holtie: "I know. Me too! My advisor advised me that there's always summer school."

...SUMMER SCHOOL?! I never intended to have to take a class in summer school! Okay, so with my heart beat racing a little faster than normal, the professor enters and has this lovely convo with the class...

Prof: "So...what have y'all heard about this class? That it's hard? Impossible? That you're probably going to fail? ....Well...yeah."
FAIL?! Two concepts I've never ever begun to imagine. SUMMER SCHOOL and FAILING! WHAT IS THIS?!
So, unfortunately, blogfans, I have to say that I probably will not be on this blog as much this semester. Bio, Psych, and Linguistics? Hello Library...Goodbye Social Life.

On a plus note, I have finalized the rooming situation for next year and I must say I'm pretty pumped. Me, Callie, Sarah, and Blythe are planning on being suitemates, and my dear Callie and I will be roomies. Can't wait!

Goodluck with your classes, everyone!
Much Love,
Emma

Christmas Update and My Day at the Beach

Happy Early New Year!
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas, I know I sure did! To all of my amazing Belk (and 4th floor Clinton-ers): My closet will be well stocked upon my return to PC. Get ready to attack. :)
Me, my mom, and my sister all 3 scored matching Patagonias! Why is this so significant you ask? Well, it's awesome for 2 reasons. 1) Me and Baker have not matched since we were 10. 2) The company that Santa ordered them from sent her 3 Patagonias for the price of 1. Yepp, thank you, faulty processing!I also got a pretty awesome monogrammed Snuggie that matches my sister and my baby cousins'. Yeah..be jealous. May I add that this is Snuggie number 3?
Spending time with my family and Chad has been absolutely amazing! I've gotten to catch up with old friends and get to spend my New Years with them as well. Break has been awesome, but I must say..I'm quite ready to get back to PC. Can't wait to see/rage with you all!

Okay, on another note, Chad and I went to the beach today! Why? Well...why the heck not?! Broadway was still decorated for Christmas! We walked around for a while, ate at Key West Grille, and went and saw the Polar Express in 3D! Totally made my day! Why? Well, Polar Express is absolutely (well...on top of Elf) my favorite Christmas movie. Anyone that's been around me in the past two breaks knows that Elf very rarely leaves my DVD player during the holiday season. hah. Hokay, so I've attached some pictures of the day. We got to hang out with an ole Crab and wear some pretty sweet glasses at the IMax theater.


I just have to say something else. SNOW. Why do you go everywhere else except in my near area? Greenville...check. Easley...check. Darlington/Florence/Hartsville...NEGATIVE! So while waltzing around Broadway today I bought a sweet pack of Fake Snow. I come home full of excitement and I must say I am less than impressed. The picture doesn't really do it much justice but its like white icee with all of the juice sucked out. It doesn't even feel like ice! Well, God, if you're listening (well, of course you are!) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bless me with snow soon!

Happy New Years, Everyone, and remember Be Safe!
Much Love,
Emma

Let's Rewind a Bit...

Okay, so everyone has that one memory that they always associate Christmas with, right? I was thinking about this yesterday when I was babysitting a little boy, age 8, in the first grade. After picking him up from school, I look in my rear view mirror only to see him giggling to himself with the biggest smile on his face. My imagination got the best of me, causing me to eventually break down and curiously ask him what was so funny. Man, oh, man I did not prepare myself for his answer. Our conversation went a little something like this..
Me: "Campbell. What is so funny back there?"
Campbell: (Grinning while looking into a big red bag) "...nothin."
Me: "Okay, well, what's in your bag? Did you have a Christmas party today at school?"
Campbell: "No, I made something for my elves. I'll show you when I get home. It's going to be so much fun!"

Okay, so one can only imagine what I began to think after this. First of all, what in the world is an elf and why does he feel the need to make things for it? For the remainder of the ride home, I got a 8-year olds' explanation of what exactly an elf is. You see, apparantly, and geniously, they're these stuffed elves that apparantly come "alive" at night and are supposed to keep watch over the kids and report back to Santa. Well, Campbell had deceivingly come up with a plan to write them letters every night and ask them to complete a task. You know, to prove that they're real.
Campbell's master plan began to fall into place the moment we got home. The suspense was killing me. What in the WORLD was in that red bag?! You'll never guess. I walk into the living room only to see Campbell spreading chips and paper and anything else you can think of around the living room. Attached to said mess? A note. : "Dear Elves...if you're real. clean this up. haha. love, Campbell"
I'm not even kidding. So, this little "challenge" provided me with quite the challenge myself. What do I do? Do I clean it up so that his parents dont wring my neck when they get home? Or do I simply play along and leave the mess for them to clean up? I sneakily snuck to the bathroom and texted his mom. Luckily for me, she said to leave the mess. We can't crush the kids spirit this close to Christmas, right? (PS: look below for a picture of the little fella)

That whole experience really made me stop and think about my past Christmas' and my experiences with such. I didn't have magical elves or flying spying reindeer, but my Mom had her own special tool for behavior control. The magic spoons. Some of you may know what I'm talking about. The wooden spoons with the holes in them. Hurt like fire when you were spanked and made you think twice before commiting any sort of criminal act again...okay, maybe not CRIMINAL, but it sure felt like it. It got to the point, that, around Christmas time, all Mom had to do was OPEN the magic spoon drawer, and any noise or bickering upstairs would quickly die down. Looking back on it, my Mom was a genius, and her master plan worked. As a little "ha-ha" moment last year, Baker and I gave everyone in our family there own wooden spoons with their names on them. Lucky for us they haven't been used...yet. There's still plenty more Christmas' before I move out!

I've survived!

I did it! My first semester of college is OVER! And guess who finished with a 3.3? :)
Ya know, I'm not usually one to talk about my good qualities but I can't help but to feel a little proud of myself. I mean, yeah, it's not a 3.5 or a 4.0, but with all of my challenges and obstacles this semester, it shows that I've survived it all. Not only do I get to keep all of my scholarship money, but now i'm eligible for even more. It feels good to do well, and I can't help but to pray that I continue to pull out good grades for the next 3 and a half years.
Hard Work Pays Off...Right?
For those of you still taking exams, good luck! Can't wait for all of you to be home!
Much Love,
Emma

Something a Little Deeper

Alright guys, time for me to get deep and philosophical. I just went and saw "The Blind Side" and I am feeling like a pretty, well, for lack of a better word, crappy person. I've been having this feeling for a long time, but the movie has brought these feelings toward the front of my brain, and although it may be a hard reality to face, it's time to face it. I'm lost. I'll admit it, already! I feel that, although I have grown SO much as a person this semester, I have lost something. What is it, you ask? I've gained so much, what could it possibly be, right? I have new friends, old friends, a wonderful education, decent grades, a car, a home, and, most importantly a family. What in the world am I lacking? One word.
God.
I had SUCH an amazing bond with him when I got to school, but, with all of the hustle and bustle of new friends, classes, and my social life, I've finally come to terms that I've put him after all of it. I can't tell you the last time I went to church. Partly, because I don't belong at my church at home due to past issues, but I know that this is no excuse. So, call it an early New Years Resolution, if you will, but I have just made one. This year, I'm reaffirming my relationship with the Lord. I'm not perfect. He knows this. However, I have for SO incredibly long put him at the back of my mind and ignored the fact that he is still with me. I dont know, maybe if I don't think about all the wrong things I'm doing he won't see them, right? Especially if I don't think about them...right? WRONG.
I guess you can call this an epiphany, but whatever it is, it's something I needed. This Holiday Season, I'm making it my goal to find myself and figure out my relationship with Christ. He's missing and it's time to open my heart to him again.
He has just done SO much for me, ya know? (Note: I know I'm ranting...sorry.) Who am I to just assume that it's okay?! What in the world am I thinking? He doesn't have to love me. He didn't have to send his son to die for MY sins! But guess what? He did. And I have been nothing but ungrateful and unappreciative. How have I shown him my thanks? By going out to the houses, being selfish, and not going to church? Wow, great job, Emma.
But ya know what? After all of this...all of this..SIN, he still loves me. And he's going to forgive me. Again. Once more have I messed up, and once more is he going to clean up my mess. This time, I'm doing things differently. There's a new Emma going back to PC next semester, and she's focused on what's most important to her. The Lord.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Don't forget what it's all about.
Much Love,
Emma

In the Name of all that is Chex Mix...

Imagine this scenario:
You're a poor, hungry college student. It's exam week and its 11:00 pm the night before your Biology exam. You've been studying all day, and all you want is food. Unfortunately, your wallet is on the third floor of the building you're in...and you're on the first. Do you man up and climb the flights to your room?....absolutely not. You do what Katherine Wade does...you attack the vending machine. What else was she supposed to do? It was one of those events where the pack of chex mix got stuck and was simply dangling there. Free food! All you have to do is give a little push and just like that it's all yours! With the help of our dear friend, Carolyne, Katherine successfully gains her Chex Mix and continues to study for her Biology exam until way early the next morning.
Oh, In the name of chex mix. Here's to you, Katherine Wade...and you're free pack of Chex Mix.
PS: I just witnessed the following conversation:
Katherine: "Man, that was good Chex Mix! Should I go try for a drink now?!"
Carolyne: "Girl, shutup!"
gotta love 'em!